The New Student's Reference Work/Hartford

Hart′ford, the capital of Connecticut, is situated on the right bank of Connecticut River, 50 miles above its mouth and 112 from New York. Since the original Dutch fort of 1633, which occupied the same site, the settlement in 1635-36 by a colony from Massachusetts and its incorporation as a city in 1784, it has risen to the rank of the second city of Connecticut in population. It shared with New Haven the rank of capital up to 1873, when it became the sole capital. It is a handsome city, with fine public buildings and many tasteful private houses. It is perhaps best known for being the headquarters of a number of great insurance companies and of the extensive manufactories of Colt's pistols and gatling guns. Engines, machines, boilers, hardware, stoves and wooden-wares are largely made, and it has a very considerable trade in Connecticut tobacco. It has an imposing state capitol of white marble, a state arsenal and a United States post-office and courthouse. The Wadsworth Athenæum and a fine high-school building are among the other equipments of the city, together with a Congregational theological seminary, a large hospital, asylums for orphans, the deaf and dumb and the insane; and, also, several important libraries. On the outskirts are the new buildings of Trinity College (Episcopal), founded on the present site of the capital in 1823. One of the “sights” of the city for many years was the “Charter Oak,” in which, it was said, was hidden the charter of Connecticut, when its surrender was demanded by Governor Andros. Population 98,915. See River Towns of Connecticut by Charles M. Andrews.